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PCBD-Nov2015

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26 The PCB Design Magazine • November 2015
Matties: there are certainly jobs of skill like en-
gineering, but in terms of manufacturing, once
you get full automation in here, there is limited
human intervention and limited handling. it's re-
ally just people monitoring the process, loading a
parameter or board possibly.
Garcia: We know some of these kids in these
engineering classes may not pan out to be a full-
fledged electrical engineer, but they may have a
passion for the industry.. That's why we want to
get them early exposure so that they are aware
of the opportunities that exist for them.
Matties: how big is your facility?
Garcia: It is 30,000 square feet.
Matties: how many people do you have here?
Garcia: Slightly under 50. We're not 50 yet.
Matties: Just under that obamacare (laughs).
Garcia: I can't confirm or deny that (laughing),
but yes, we've tried to stay under 50.
Matties: i think a lot of people have. there are a
lot of reasons to do it. But with automation, that
allows you to grow beyond what you would have
had to hire for that sort of growth.
Paper: It's a number to keep an eye on, but I
think also if we're getting to the stage where we
need 60 employees, that's a positive thing.
Matties: good. so build it as fast as you can
for as little money as you can spend on building
the highest quality product possible. it's a pretty
simple formula.
Garcia: Yeah. There's a lot of in-between there,
but that's the gist of it.
Paper: It's a simple formula, but the execution
is a just a little more complicated (laughing).
Matties: great, well thanks for sitting down with
me today.
Garcia: Thank you.
Paper: Thank you.
PCBDESIGN
GOOD IN, GOOD OuT: BAY AREA CIRCuITS DISCuSSES DATA STRATEGIES
feature interview
Interim CEO Jeff McCreary
on Changes at Isola
in a recent interview with i-Connect007,
isola's interim President and CEo Jeff McCreary
discussed the impetus for the recent person-
nel reduction and plant closing that took place,
mainly in the u.S. With a realignment towards
the Asian market and im-
proved plant utilization in
the u.S., isola expects to
become more international-
ly competitive and improve
revenue.
McCreary explained that,
with long-time president
ray Sharpe stepping down
followed by the reductions,
many are probably won
-
dering about the company's stability. he stated
that the company has remained profitable but
has suffered revenue-wise in the past few years,
due in part to a general market slump in Asia.
By improving on their manufacturing utilization
rate in the u.S. (savings in the millions) along
with more focus on the Asian market, McCreary
sees the company as highly competitive going
forward.
McCreary also shared his bullish view on
the electronics industry in
general and on what the
industry may expect from
isola going forward. in ad
-
dition, he explained what
the company is looking
for in a new CEo, which
should be announced in
the next few months.
To read the entire inter-
view click here.